What is mds_stores on Mac? Why Does It Have High CPU Usage

The mds_stores process on a Mac can sometimes take up a significant amount of CPU percentage. When this happens, your system will gradually start to slow down, overheat and operate inefficiently.

Mds_store is the core indexing process of the macOS. On normal days, it usually takes up a noticeable amount of CPU. However, when you reinstall your OS or add new files/directories, your system will automatically start to reindex these new databases, which sees the mds_stores CPU usage skyrocket.

Restart the Spotlight Service

If you refresh mds_stores, it can fix the abnormally high CPU usage. Since mds_stores is a part of the macOS Spotlight, you can refresh this process by restarting the Spotlight service. You can do so by executing certain commands on the terminal.